Drown me
by Wordsorcereress
Summary: Strifehart Kink Meme! Leon is an adventurer who loses his way in the forest, Cloud is the bathing faery he happens to come upon.


**Prompt: Leon is an adventurer who loses his way in the forest, Cloud is the bathing faery he happens to come upon.**

* * *

Several leagues west of Midgar, and not far enough. Leon sighed and stopped glaring at the landmark still present on the horizon behind him, it wouldn't help his situation any to attempt to stare it out of existence, he merely was not moving as swiftly as he had wished.

Trying not to dwell on gloomy thoughts he began to step as lightly as possible through the ever denser forest. The trees stood taller than houses, and their trunks could have held entire rooms, leaves many and broad enough to serve stuffed pigs upon with ease. Leon stepped through the upper branches carefully, their wild roads leaving no trace of himself from his pursuers, he hoped that this tactic would dissuade them.

The gold in his pockets was not enough to lift his spirits when he recalled the hasty flight he had taken out of the walled and staggered city of stone. Rufus Shinra's death had paid him well, but it had cost him the freedom to live peacefully within the city walls. Midgar was not home. Nowhere was, he was just a traveller passing through and selling his looted wears when he had been offered the high paying job. He had needed the coin to survive his next ventures across the leagues. However, he was starting to regret the consequences of his job, these guards were persistent and had followed him all the way to the edge of these mystical trees where Leon hid his trail.

Once darkness made travelling by branches difficult, Leon climbed down on a rope, not daring to harm the trees in this old forest for fear of vengeful dryads or nymphs, spirits or even lesser gods. The old gods of the land still had power, he had learnt that lesson well and resolved to keep his peace with the powers that be, especially since he often couldn't keep it with his fellow men.

On the forest floor, he climbed root after root until darkness rendered his eyes useless and he travelled by touch and sound.

It had been dark for hours when he heard the trickle of water.

He moved as silently as he could towards the water, the gathering of fireflies and bioluminescent lesser spirits made him cautious. He finally spied the pools of water, the smaller streams gathering in crystal clear pools the size of rooms to the size of arenas, a healthy brook that fed the entire forest.

Leon stood by the water's edge and let the tension run out of his body at last. He knelt before the water and cupped his hands to drink from it, muttering a soft prayer to whatever spirit might have inhabited these pools when movement startled him into reaching for his dagger.

In the middle of the lake, through a wall of twisting knotted roots, a figure was undressing. A soft and thin robe was slipped from thin shoulders, and the pale body slid into the water, causing neither splash nor ripple as the figure slipped into the pleasant coolness of the pool.

Leon tilted his head, curious and cautious to who he was seeing, he stayed still as the figure washed arms and legs and brought leaffuls of water over slim shoulders and down a toned back, shoulder blades shifting like trapped wings under the flawless flesh. There was a hint of a beautiful face, high cheekbones and full lips framed by hair that looked silver in the blue light of the spirits.

Stunned by the beautiful figure, Leon's hand slowly lowered until a fingertip broke the surface with a tiny ripple.

The figure tensed and looked directly at him.

The glowing blue eyes speared Leon where he crouched, and his heart beat loudly in his throat.

In a flash of soft blue light, the figure had disappeared, only the soft lapping of water merging into water hinted that there had been a soul there at all.

Leon stood, hand falling from his knife and thirst forgotten. He walked around the lakes and pools until he found the spot where the lovely being had shed his clothes. Leon left the clothes untouched, just looking out over the surface without a word to ponder what he had witnessed.

His eyes looked along the banks of the pools, and when he peered through the illuminated darkness behind him, he spotted the shrine.

It was an old shrine, covered in moss and surrounded in pottery aged enough to look fragile and dusty. Leon brushed away some of the carvings and sighed when he couldn't read a word of the old stone tablet, _this might be one of her old gods_ , he thought to himself.

He pressed his hands together in short prayer and brought his knapsack out to sleep upon the old stone, sure that it would disturb fewer spirits and creatures than if he had slept on a tree root or from a branch. He asked permission, quietly, to spend the night in peace as he offered no discord and lay to bed.

* * *

In the morning, he woke to see glowing eyes staring down at him.

He blinked, the lovely creature from before was sitting by his side, staring down at him with one leg raised and his arms folded in a look of patience. The flaxen locks of hair stood up in all directions, the pale skin and bright eyes making him appear angelic and pure compared to the hardworking rabble of everyday life that Leon was used to associating with.

The adventurer lay still as the beautiful man watched him, unsure what to do or what he wanted.

The man eventually tilted his head and spoke "Not many visit my shrine … why have you come?"

Leon wondered if he should remove his weapons or offer tribute, for now, he answered: "I mean no disrespect, I am but a humble mercenary passing through the forest to seek a new start elsewhere."

Blond bangs swished over the glowing blue eyes as the lovely male got to his feet "But you prayed at my shrine, you asked my permission to stay, to return peace with peace. How do you know of the old customs?"

Leon sat up, sighing and groaning as his back cracked and stretched with movement and new blood. "Once I had a job to protect a girl as her bodyguard. She was of ancient blood, an ancient herself in practice, and she spoke of the old gods and the spirits." He watched the impassive face above him, "She became blessed by the gods herself and came to my aid upon her death, and I have learnt to respect the old powers through respect and awe of her."

The blond frowned "She died while you guarded her?"

The mercenary lowered his head in shame "I failed her. All I could do was avenged her passing, it almost cost me my own life until her old gods saved her, and she, in turn, resurrected me. She instilled my respect for the old ways. It is not much, but I continue to respect such cultures out of respect for her."

The blond was impassive again.

Leon asked, "Are you an old god?"

The man shook his head "I am a water nymph. These pools are my home and my power, I bestow life to these trees, and the ancient people gave me the shrine to recognise my power over the resident life. This forest would not exist without me, here I rule."

Leon bowed his head "I sincerely hope my presence does not disturb you."

"You tread lightly, speak with respect and honesty. I do not mind you taking passage through my lands, so long as you continue to act respectfully you may take your time here," the nymph said, turning back to the water and sending a gentle smile behind him and sliding a corner of the thin silky robe off of his smooth shoulder. "Will you join me to bathe? The waters here are sweet." The robe fell, catching in folds at his slim hips and teasing Leon's eyes with the exposed skin.

Had any other attractive male offered such a succulent encounter, Leon would have leapt at the chance without shame. But his dear friend Aerith had warned him of nymphs, their seductive and possessive nature and their wiles to drawn in helpless victims into their waters, and he politely shook his head with a smirk of his own, ignoring his lust as best he could.

"I know you'd sweetly drown me."

The nymph's expression lit up with mischief, and he turned back into water with a final remark "Indeed I might, lost soul. Indeed, I might."

* * *

Leon spent a second night in the shrine, taking the time to rest and ponder his map for his next stop. The area here was peaceful and his time out of gossip and hearsay would leave the guards no choice but to abandon their chase since his tracks were well covered.

The nymph appeared to him in the evening again to speak with him and to tempt him. He sat close to Leon, his breath tickling the nape of his neck and a leg pressed teasingly up against his own, the robe half draped across the limb in the most appealing way as he murmured "What holds your attention so, handsome traveller?"

Leon restrained himself from admiring the lovely creature's body pressed so perfectly up against his own. The robe revealing a degree of transparency up close that hid nothing of the water spirit's fine form, his toned chest and even down his legs, Leon scolded himself for getting pulled in by the nymph's sexual advances and pointed to several locations on the piece of parchment.

"After I emerge from your lands I plan to go south to Esthar and spend my coin before travelling onwards, maybe I'll return north to the icy planes, or stay south and traverse the deserts."

A pale hand brushed purposely across his as he ran a finger over the map in an idle pattern "Why travel at all? Why not stay?"

Leon often wondered himself. "I wish to see and find as much as possible in my lifetime."

"Find?" the hand pulled back and rested on Leon's chest, flittering away over his shoulder to hold as he murmured into his ear "Does that imply that you are lost, sweet traveller?"

Leon gulped, aroused and dangerously close to allowing this water spirit to take him and hold his life in his hands. He gripped the map harder and deliberately folded it away "I'm not lost."

"Are you sure? You could settle and make a home," his voice changed from sultry to curious "Does home not appeal to you, like it doesn't to the Nix or Kelpie who dwell in the rivers? They always move on so fast, their joy comes from carving a new path into the land, are you like them inside? Or are you like a nymph, like me?"

Curious himself, Leon asked, "You find joy settled in your pools?"

The nymph nodded "My joy comes from the water, I need no objects or trinkets of man to be happy, I do not desire the hunt or blood like my river brethren. My home, it is calming and soothing, and it still has the might to support these forests effortlessly." His hands linked around Leon's waist "Won't you let me sooth you?"

Leon smirked, "You tempt me so sweetly, nymph, but I would be foolish to think you'd ever let me escape your waters if I allowed you to take me."

The sprite laughed in his ear, neither confirming nor denying as he slipped back into the waters and left Leon to rest. But not before turning the adventurer's head and pressing his cool lips to the corner of his mouth, Leon's sleep was hot and restless, and he was certain that the nymph was watching him, amused.

* * *

Leon bid the nymph goodbye after a week of rest, the nymph wished him well on his way, offering a goodbye kiss and a waterskin of distilled water for the respect and amusement he had presented during his stay. The kiss had been sweet and cool, but it had branded itself so firmly in Leon's mind that he was sure no other kiss could satisfy him now, and yet he could not bring himself to regret the brief feeling of the nymph in his arms before he turned to water and disappeared from sight.

As Leon walked on, he found the end of trees and passed into the open with a hint of regret. He joined a caravan of traders headed west and quickly left the mystical forest behind him, and the beautiful nymph too.

* * *

He was a fool.

It was foolish to think that word of Rufus's murder hadn't reached all the major cities and guards, that it hadn't inspired fury in his many connected relatives throughout the leagues' cities. It was sheer arrogance that the men of Midgar hadn't caught sight of his face- his recognisable scar and emblem of his guild of mercenaries – and it was punishment for his faults that he lay bleeding at the edge of the road after a gruelling flee from Deling City.

Leon pressed a hand to his bleeding stomach, the dying man before him had left a mortal wound, but it would take him many minutes to bleed out while the defeated guard quickly gurgled out his last breath.

The mercenary's hand and front were warm with his own blood, he knew he didn't have long.

He stood and stumbled over to the mystical forest, his hasty flight had led him here, maybe by coincidence or maybe by silent guidance, and had stranded him here as his stolen horse had fled and the mounts of the guards had turned tail as he had fired his bullets into the oncoming sword fight. His right side hurt from the shove off of his horse, and the many minor wounds across his arms and legs made walking a chore even without the severe dizziness induced by his wounded abdomen.

He had fled a long way, but the guards were persistent – Rufus's relatives must have been out for revenge so strongly that they had recruited all the cities guards to their cause. They were powerful enough to afford it, and Leon was paying the price for standing in their way. Yet, he could not bring himself to regret the job that had led him on this path to doom.

He stumbled through the forest with a trail of blood marking his passing, he breathed apologies to the lesser gods and spirits who fled in fear or hissed in anger at his presence and disruption. His words became more delirious the deeper he walked, the more he bled, until, finally, he found the pools as big as arenas and household rooms and collapsed at the water's edge.

The nymph was there near instantly, his pale hands turning Leon over as the man's vision began to darken.

"Oh sweet traveller," the nymph gasped softly, his glowing blue eyes running across the degree of wounds he bore.

Leon sighed himself, drinking in the sight of the white-robed nymph with the lovely face and golden hair, "Forgive me for my clumsy footing through your lands, I wanted to see you again before I was too weak to move."

The nymph smiled gently, his hands cupping Leon's face as the dying man wondered "I never got a name to put to your beautiful face."

Laughing, the nymph said "Neither did I, honey-tongued wanderer. You may call me Cloud."

"Cloud," Leon repeated, though his mouth had become lax and dry "My name is Leon."

Around them, curious spirits watched or hid, and the pain in Leon's stomach caused his eyes to close in a wince and a brief sob of distress to leave him as his weakness only grew. Cloud's hands moved to lift Leon into his arms, he asked as he curled his palms under his shoulders and under his legs, "Will you let me soothe you, at last, sweet traveller?"

As he was lifted, Leon's eyes closed and he returned "You'll sweetly drown me …" moments before Cloud's lips settled over his own and before the pain was replaced with peace. As their mouths moved slowly, he felt the cool water all around him and breathed in a final breath as Cloud walked forwards, slipping them both under and disappearing without so much as a ripple.

"I might, my lost soul, I might …"

* * *

 **Nymphs, in mythology, are often described as sexual beings but not always as emotionally attached ones. This is an open interpretation to whether Cloud somehow saves Leon's life or if he follows through on the common act of a nymph drowning their victims to keep them forever.**


End file.
